By now, most people are aware of the terrible crime that occurred in Naju. My wife and I have loved ones of our own, and our heart goes out to that poor girl.

Though the immediate concern should be the safety and welfare of the children that remain in that home, one has to wonder why the government, the media, and the vocal minority are distracting us with the disingenuous rhetoric of old.

Why did the president apologize to the nation? Why are the police restarting random checks? Why are social groups campaigning for the government to do more?

After more than a decade of living in Korea, one would hope that common sense would prevail at least some of the time.

Unfortunately, these old tactics of “the appearance of doing something” are being employed once again, rather than addressing the root of the problem.

The president, the police, and the social groups combined could not have prevented this horrible crime. Her parents, however, could have.

Parents have the fundamental responsibility to protect their children, because desperate people can’t be stopped from taking asymmetrical action. Knowing this, we need to be vigilant when raising our children. Unfortunately, those children in Naju were abandoned, left unsupervised, and neglected by their parents.

Shouldn’t that be the focus?

To be clear, punishing predatory pedophiles is definitely needed, as the “padded stick” approach that Korea uses is appalling. However, that doesn’t mean that parents should ever abdicate their responsibility to their children.
Requiring parents to provide the minimum standard of care for children must take the lead.

It might not be the popular message people want to hear, but it is the truth.